Sutures, and knots to secure and lock sutures, have been utilized for thousands of years. Most knots are locking knots, and are generally designed to be “one-way” meaning that they may not be able to be unlocked without untying them. Such static knots (e.g., surgeon's knot) are the predominate knots used in open surgical settings. In some applications, however, the ability to unlock the surgical knot may aid the surgeon.
Within the arthroscopic field, a few locking knots are employed that are capable of being unlocked. For example, the Tennessee Slider knot, the SMC knot, and the Roeder knot. Such sliding knots, however, are usually delivered down a cannula. Additionally, the sliding knots may also incorporate a tension device (e.g., endo-button).